When An Alpha Purrs(15)

"Oh, there will be things done. And you will enjoy it."

"No, I won't."

It was too easy to prove her wrong. He invaded her space, his body  moving toward her as she backed away in the elevator cab until she hit  the wall and had to stop. Her chest heaved, her eyes dilated, and the  sweet perfume of her arousal teased him. "Care to change your answer?"  he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

"Stop it. I know what you're doing, and I won't allow it."

"What am I doing?"

"Using your body against me. Just because I desire you doesn't mean I like you."

"I think you do like me. A lot."

"No, I don't. At all. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Never in a million years."

He grasped her chin and rubbed his thumb over her lower lip and felt her  tremble. "Again with the lying. And you protest too much. Admit it. You  are as drawn to me as I am to you. And not just physically. We  complement each other."

"How do you figure that? We are completely different people."

"Which is why we will work so well together."

"What is wrong with you? I insult you, and you think that makes us perfect?"

"But that's just it. You are not cowed by my evident awesomeness. Your fearsome nature makes you a perfect partner for me."

"You wouldn't call me fearsome if you'd seen me last night," she blurted  out. As if ashamed of her admission, she ducked her head, but he  wouldn't let her hide from him. He angled her chin and forced her gaze  back to his.

"There are times when fear is appropriate. When threatened, anything less would be foolish. But you aren't afraid of me."

"Because I know you won't hurt me."

The admission warmed him, made his chest swell in pride. Odd, because,  with anyone else, he would have shown them why fear of the lion king was  appropriate, but with Kira, he wanted her trust. "You're right. I  wouldn't hurt you. Because you are mine."

Before she could protest, and he could tell she was going to, the  stubborn chit, he slanted his mouth over hers, drawing her denial into  his mouth and breathing arousal back into her.                       
       
           



       

Kira melted, just as he knew she would. This was meant to be. In his  arms he held his woman, his mate. She molded herself to him and let his  mouth trace the shape of hers. She met his tongue with her own, eagerly  sucking and playing and …

The elevator doors parted, and a choked cough-someone had a meddling  hairball stuck in their throat-let him know they had an audience.

"What do you think you're doing, Arik Theodore Antoine Castiglione?"

Ooh, all four of his names. Someone was in trouble. Or would have been  if he were still a child. However, he was a man now. Alpha of the pride.  What a shame his mother kept refusing to respect his command.

With a heavy sigh, he parted from a flushed Kira and turned to face his  mother, who regarded him with stern disapproval from the open elevator  door.

In her early fifties, his mother appeared much younger than her age, her  skin still smooth, marred only by crinkles at the corners of her eyes.  Her blonde hair, with a little help from a bottle, retained its golden  sheen and was cut short in layers that framed an angular face. The lips,  which usually bore a smile for her cherished son, were pulled taut in  disapproval.

"Hello, Mother. Fancy seeing you here. I take it someone tattled on me."

His mother arched a perfectly plucked brow. "Make that numerous someones  and with good reason. What are you doing bringing a hu-"-she caught  herself-"a girl like her home with you."

Before Arik could say a word, Kira, being Kira, jumped in.

"A girl like me?" His mouse planted her hands on her hips and let her  expressive brown eyes spit daggers at his mother. Fearless before the  pride's greatest huntress. Except Kira didn't know whom she faced. Even  if she did, I'd wager she wouldn't care.

It occurred to Arik to intervene, but he stayed his paw. This  confrontation would have to happen at one point. Given both women would  always be a part of his life, Kira and his mother would have to learn to  deal with each other.

That was the first reason to allow this meeting to unfold. The second he  could blame on his cat, who was curious about what would happen next.  Fireworks for sure and he wondered if he could snag some popcorn for the  upcoming entertainment. His mother wasn't used to other people, most  especially humans, standing up to her.

Haughty disdain marked his mother's features as she eyed Kira from head  to toe. "Exactly where did you scrounge this waif from? The bargain bin  at some discount outlet? Really, Arik. If you feel a need to sate your  carnal urges could you not do so more discreetly or at least with  someone of your caliber?"

In other words, stick to his kind, not humans. But Kira didn't know  that. Kira assumed the worst, and she bristled pretty awesomely-for a  human.

"Having met you I see where Arik gets his manners, or, more  specifically, lack of manners, from. I have to wonder if the fumes from  the peroxide you've used over the years on that pile of straw on your  head is to blame."

"It's natural!"

"Sure it is." Kira's placating smile just fueled the fire.

"Why, you little hussy, I should teach you to mock your betters."

"Mock? I'm sorry. Wasn't my insult clear?"

Oh damn. What a way to goad his mother. Arik could see his mother's  control over her lioness fraying. Since it seemed the claws might come  out, he judged it prudent to step in.

"Now, ladies, surely we can solve our differences in an amicable manner."

"No!" At least, in that, his mother and Kira agreed.

"Can we go inside and discuss this?"

"You and your mommy can. I'm leaving." Kira, who'd yet to exit the  elevator cab, made to stab at the touch screen, but Arik blocked her  attempt.

"You're staying," he stated.

"Let her leave. It's the first smart thing she's said." His mother glared at his mouse.

"Kira's not going anywhere."

"You can't make me stay."

At this point, Arik finally lost his composure. He might have let his cat out just a tiny bit when he roared, "Enough!"

Round eyes and a dropped jaw said he might have let a little more beast  out than expected. While Kira processed her shock, he took the  opportunity to extract her from the elevator and carry her to the door  to his penthouse. His mother followed, haranguing him all the way.

"What are you doing, Arik? Why are you bringing this woman home? I want some answers."

There really was only one answer, and he tossed it at his mother before slamming the door practically in her face. "She's mine."

The roar of denial from the other side of the wooden portal didn't bode  well, but then again, neither did the storm brewing in Kira's eyes when  he set her down.                       
       
           



       

Guess he wasn't getting any nookie or a nap anytime soon. Damn. And the  sun was at just the right height to puddle warm rays across his bed.





Chapter Fourteen


The harpy, masquerading as Arik's mother, left, but her accusations  still rang in Kira's head. But the fact the harridan took an instant  dislike to her wasn't what perturbed Kira so much. Rewind to Arik's  manhandling of her. It took her a moment to process what he said but  once it sank in, she had to ask, "What the hell was all that about?"

"I'd apologize for my mother's behavior, but to be honest, that's just how she is."

"I don't give a damn about your crazy mother. I'm talking about the  whole ‘she's mine' bit. I'm really starting to get a little perturbed by  this whole caveman thing you've got going on. You don't own me, big  guy. I'm not some bauble you can just claim and then tote around." Even  if said toting was kind of hot. "I'm the one who gets to decide where I  go and with who."

"Not at the moment you don't. You're in danger, so you won't be going  anywhere for the moment. Not until this problem with your ex-boyfriend  is taken care of."

"And just how do you plan to take care of Gregory?" Because short of her  ex getting distracted by some other poor girl or getting his ass thrown  into jail, she couldn't see how Arik thought he could help her.

"Let's just say I have my ways."

The toothy grin didn't reassure, not with the cold storm brewing in his  eyes. "You aren't going to kill him or something, are you?" she asked,  only half joking. Something about Arik said he wasn't a man who did  things in half measures. But surely, he wouldn't stoop to violence or  murder? Then again, what did she really know about him?

"Would you care if Gregory were to meet an unfortunate end?"